At this point in the NFL calendar, a tabloid story can quickly become the headline of the day, and that’s exactly what happened yesterday when the news broke of Tony Romo’s arrest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Romo, the Cowboys’ all-time touchdown leader, turned to broadcasting golf after his retirement in the spring of 2017. He became Jim Nantz’s partner in the booth for CBS, where he’s become one of the most notable broadcasters in the sport, and has played in countless high-stakes golf tournaments.
At 46, Romo has such a storied past and a bright future, so the news of an OWI (operating while intoxicated) arrest was certainly surprising.
Here, I’ll give you everything we know about the story and what it could mean for the former Cowboys star as he prepares for both his 10th NFL season in the CBS booth and a future court date.
What We Know: Tony Romo Arrested After Golf Outing
On Friday, Tony Romo was competing in the Wisconsin State Amateur Championship through the Wisconsin State Golf Association. A video has circulated on social media of the ex-quarterback giving tips to a fan on the course; he was picked up by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s office one day after the video was taken.
Romo was pulled over at around 8 PM EST, and “performed poorly” on field sobriety tests by officers; from there, he was booked on “suspicion of operating while under the influence.”
This is essentially Wisconsin’s version of a DWI, or DUI, under state law. Notably, it comes at a much softer penalty than this kind of crime usually does — for a first-time offense, Romo is unlikely to deal with anything larger than a $300 fine.
Legally, the simple fact is that Romo is not in that much trouble from this OWI; the question is whether it will have any impact on his role at CBS. He signed one of the largest contracts in the profession to remain with the network in 2020, and some are wondering if this puts that contract into jeopardy.
As details from Romo and CBS emerge through statements, which have not been released yet, that aspect of the situation will become clearer.
My bet is you won’t see all that much ultimately come of this situation.
If it does, however, it will come to a head in September, as Romo is officially scheduled to appear in court on Monday, September 21st (just two weeks into the 2026 NFL regular season).
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